Dispenser



April 25, 1939. R. BERNHARDT DISPENSER Filed March 18, 1958 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to dispensers or devices for discharging limited amounts of liquids, such as hand lotions, from bo tles or other suitable containers.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser or device of this kind which is adapted to be used with various forms of bottles and which will be ecient in use although economical to manufacture.

Other objects are to provide means for measuring or discharging small amounts of fluid from bottles and to provide a dispenser having such advantages and novel features as will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention,

Figure l is a side view of the top of a bottle with my dispenser applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a cross 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form of construction; and

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The drawing is shown on an enlarged scale for convenience in illustration as the actual devices will usually be made substantially smaller than shown in the drawing, a convenient size having a projecting member or plunger of about seven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter.

The bottle 6 may be of any suitable form for lotions or the like and is provided with a cap 'I which may be threaded thereon or otherwise secured thereto. The cap has an integrally formed flange 8 defining a center hole 9 and providing a support for a cup or cylinder I0 having its open end engaging with the flange as by a pressed fit to hold the cylinder in position. The cap in this form is preferably made of plastic material, hard rubber, or the like. The lower end of the cylinder I0 is closed by an integrally formed bottom or end II which also has a hole I2 in the center thereof. A piston or plunger I 3 is slidably mounted in the hole 9 which forms a bearing therefor and has an outwardly extending flange I4 at its inner end which fits closely within the barrel or cylinder I0. A gasket or washer I5 engages with the stem portion of the plunger I3 and ts against the lower surface of the flange 8 in order to make a tight closure between the stem and the hole through the cap. Another gasket or packing washer I6 engages with the lower face of the ange or piston member I4 and is held against section taken on the line the flange by aspring I'I which is interposed between the washer and the inner face of the end I I, the spring tending to hold the piston or plunger in raised or projected position. A rod or cylinder I8 fits closely in the hollow stem portion I3 of the piston and is held therein by a forced t or the like. The rod I8 is larger than the hole I2 in the end of the barrel but has a reduced portion I9 which is adapted to t closely within the hole and serve as a cut-off or valve during the operation of the device. The lower shouldered end of the rod I8 engages with the upper face of the wall II to limit the downward movement of the piston.

The rod or core member I8 has a slot or passageway 20 leading from a point below the washer I6 to the upper end of the rod which has a peripheral channel 2| to provide a passageway for the discharge of liquid which passes out through an opening or discharge orifice 22 at the side of the closed end of the plunger I3 as shown in Figure 2.

In order to lock or fasten the piston in raised position the flange I4 has a peripheral notch or recess 23 which is adapted to engage at times with a longitudinal spline or key 24 formed in the side of the barrel I0 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The spline terminates at a point slightly below the washer I5 so that whe-n the flange I4 is in its uppermost position the piston may be turned so that the flange will be above the spline 24 and prevent the downward movement of the piston. Then by turning the piston until the notch 23 registers with the spline it will be free to reciprocate in the barrel.

When the dispenser is to be used, the piston will be in its normal or projected position, for instance as shown in Figure 4, at which time the hole I2 is open, leaving a large or free passageway for the liquid to ow into the barrel. 'I'he bottle is turned bottom side up to permit the liquid toy flow into the barrel and the user then presses inwardly on the top or end 24 of the piston rod I3, this end serving as a finger piece for pressing the piston in. The inward movement of the piston first causes the projection I9 to close the hole I2 and the further movement of the piston causes the duid entrapped in the barrel or cylinder I0 to be forced outwardly through the slot or groove 20 and discharge orifice 22 into the hand. The piston is then released and the spring I 1 will force it back to normal or projected position and during this movement there is a tendency toward forming a vacuum in the cylinder so that any drops or liquid remaining adjacent 2 to the orifice 22 will be drawn back into the slot 20, thus preventing the material from running down over the rod or plunger I3. This sucking or drawing in of the material from the opening 22 is an important feature of the invention as it tends to prevent clogging of the discharging orifice and also tends to keep the outer portions of the dispenser clean. After the device has been used the piston or plunger may be fastened in its raised position if desired as above described.

In the modified formv of construction shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bottle 26 has a metal cap 21 with a reinforcing washer 28. These parts are held together by a sleeve 29 having a flange 30 over the cap and an inwardly projecting flange 3| for receiving the open end of the cylinder or barrel 32 which is held in the flange portion of the sleeve by a pressed fit or `otherwise secured therein. 'Ihe piston and plunger 33 are formed as above described and coact with the barrel in the same manner. In this modification however the center member 34 which fits in the hollow rod or plunger member 33 is made of two 'hollow shells or pieces 35 and 36 which are fitted together as shown in Figure 4 with a forced iit so that the resulting element is substantially the same in operation as the center member above described. The operation Vis also the same, the particular differences being in the Way of construction to adapt the same to a metallic `cap and to provide alight and cheap center member.

I have shown and described my invention as applied to a bottle of the type commonly used for lotions but it may be adapted for other containers and other uses and modifications or changes may be necessary for such adaptations, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the forms herein shown and described except as specified in the following claim, in which I claim:

In a dispenser, the combination of a metal cap having a central opening, a reinforcing washer around said opening, a sleeve engaging with said washer and cap and serving to fasten them together and to define a central bearing, a barrel extending inwardly from the sleeve and having a closed inner end with a central orifice for receiving liquid which passes into the same by gravity, a piston coacting with the barrel, a spring tending to hold the piston in normally projected position, a hollow piston rod extending ont through the bearing and having a closed outer end with a discharge orifice, a closed plunger member secured in the rod and formed of inter-engaging shells, one of said shells having an end portion of less diameter than the body portion and adapted to engage with the hole for closing the same during the discharge operation while permitting the discharge movement of the piston in the barrel, said shell also having a passageway leading from the barrel to the discharge orifice.

RUDOLPH BERNHARDT. 

